Episode 39 - Soft Heart, Thick Skin with David Jay Collins

On this episode, indie author David Jay Collins and I discuss his work writing books in and about Chicago, how he keeps going by honoring his characters, and the unique ways that he connects with his readers. We also discuss his reading life, including a current fast from horror content which blows my mind!

 

Follow David on Instagram 

Order any of David’s books from his website 

Where you can see David in 2025!

 

Books mentioned in this episode: 

 

What Betsy’s reading: 

Lilith by Eric Rickstad 

A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

Just Want You Here by Meredith Turtis 

 

Books Highlighted by David:

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster 

Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and We Work by Reeves Wiedeman 

Dry. A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs 

The Death of the Artist: How Creators are Struggling to Survive in the Age of Billionaires and Big Tech by William Deresiewicz 

The Man With the Golden Arm by Nelson Algren

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion 

 

All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.  

Other books mentioned in this episode:

John Adams by David McCullough 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens